Singapore Air has already cut 199 flights

Singapore Air, the most profitable Asian airline, has asked almost half of its staff to take unpaid leave.

The request comes as airlines around the world are being forced into increasingly drastic action to cope with the Sars outbreak.

Singapore's flagship airline has asked its 6,600 cabin crew members to take seven days unpaid leave every two months until the end of March 2004.

Analysts estimate the plan will save the airline Singapore$100m ($56.5m; �35.4m) if cabin crew accept it.

Singapore Airlines has already cut 30% of its capacity, or about 199 flights a week.

And it is negotiating a similar deal over unpaid leave with its pilots.

Staff must choose between the unfavourable offer or face the risk of widespread redundancies.

Emirates prospers

Sars has now spread to at least 25 countries, killing more than 370 people.

Airlines were already suffering from a slump in global travel following the 11 September terrorist attacks and the war in Iraq.

US airlines in particular are facing the threat of bankruptcy due to the raft of recent troubles, although government aid will tide many over in the short-term.

Despite the wider woes of the air industry, Dubai's Emirates airline is continuing to prosper.

The Gulf airline reported a 94% rise in annual profits on Wednesday, thanks to the emergence of Dubai as an international travel hub.